Hair clip



p 14, 65 F. s. WAGGENER 3,205,902

HAIR CLIP Filed May 2, 1963 T .Z' 9-1. F552 6 24 2/ 33 57g 3/ 35 352 322 25 13226 1/ I3 I 6 23 la 3 322 32k INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,205,902 HAIR CLIP Frances S. Waggener, P.O. Box 634, Davis, Calif. Filed May 2, 1963, Ser. No. 277,575 3 Claims. (Cl. 132-46) This invention relates to hair clips or clasps for holding hair in a contoured form.

In the art of hair dressing and its many branches, such as the respective operations of curling, shampooing and setting of the hair, there may be many needs for a small clip or clasp member to hold a lock of hair on the scalp at the pre-set shape of configuration, and especially for those operations requiring holding a lock of hair at a pre-set curl or undulating wave.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide such a clip having integral parts effecting ease of operation with means for prevention of entanglement of hair, efiiciency of operation, and cheapness of manufacturing costs.-

Briefly described, one form of clip of the invention comprises an integral structure which may be molded from suitable plastic, but as exemplified herein is stamped from the plane of a blank of thin resilient sheet metal having a finger-grip at one end, and having extended therefrom an elongated tongue, and a pair of relatively spaced substantially parallel tines, there being an integrally formed resilient hinge-link spaced operatively at one end portion of the tongue and tines and integrally connecting with the finger-grip in spaced relation to the adjacent terminal end portion of the clip. Originally, in the blank from which the clip is formed, the tines are spaced substantially parallel relatively, and the tongue is formed from the sheet material which is stamped from between the tines. In the completed clip the tines are formed inwardly toward each other at the free terminal end portion thereof so that the tongue is held thereunder. This structure is particularly adapted to formation from a planar resilient metal blank but it may also be molded from resilient polyvinyl plastic. Due to both the resilience of the sheet metal or other resilient material and the resilient hinge-link, the relatively parallel tongue and tines may be opened orspread apart relatively to receive therebetween a lock of hair, the tongue and tines being adapted to open in approximately parallel planes, and the throat at the hinged junctures thereof is formed so that when the clip is opened the throat portion will be spaced widely open and free to receive a relatively thick coiled lock of hair, which places an even uniform pressure on the hair, thus eliminating wedging the formed hair into an acute angular throat and also avoids entanglement of the hair which is a common fault of clips having relatively hinged jaws or a narrow acute angle at the throat.

Preferred forms in which the clip of the invention may be embodied are shown in the accompanying drawing as preferred exemplifications, but the invention may take other forms of specifically different structures which are within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which one form of the invention may be fabricated;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side elevation of clip formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1, in what may be termed its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the formed clip of FIG. 2 in open position holding a lock of hair;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of clip formed from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of clip of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of blank from which a modified form of the clip of the invention may be formed;

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FIG. 7 is a longitudinal side elevation of clip formed from the blank of FIG. 6 in closed position;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of clip formed from the blank shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective View of clip shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of clip as shown in FIG. 7, but in open position holding a lock of hair.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views of the same form of the invention, and referring firstly to FIGS. 1 to 5, the reference character 10 indicates generally a planar blank form from which a preferred structure of the clip may be made. As previously stated the clip may be molded from suitably resiliently plastic, but as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the planar blank is preferably of suitably resilient sheet metal which is deformable from a plane and having a suitable degree of resilience to provide a spring-action in a pair of relatively laterally spaced resilient hinge-link members generally indicated 11, the function of which is to resiliently and integrally connect between elongated planar prongs which in the completed clip consist of a lower tongue 12 and a pair of upper tines 13, 14- which will be further described.

The blank 10 is a slightly tapered strip of resiliently spring relatively thin sheet material as best shown in FIG. 1, a thickness approximating to 1, of an inch being suitable. The blank may be die-cut through its body in planar form along lines of cleavage longitudinally. Two of said cleavage lines, respectively 15 and 16, are adjacently spaced from, and respectively are generally parallel to relatively opposite tapered elongated side edges of the blank, and thereby define the elongated tines 13, 14, which are thus relatively spaced and relatively converge in the direction of the free terminal end 17 of the clip. The elongated spaced tines define centrally between them the elongated tongue 12, the elongated side edges of which taper or converge towards the free terminal end 17 of the clip. The tines and tongue may be substantially coterminal at said free terminal end, though it is preferred that the tongue be slightly longer than the tines, as at 18.

At the end portion of the blank which is opposite of the free terminal end 17 of the tongue and tines, there is another out 19 made in the blank, which is generally U-shaped and is spaced from the adjacent marginal edges of the blank, providing a relatively narrow U-shaped strip 20 of blank material around the U-shaped cut. The closed end of the U-shaped cut 19 is adjacently spaced from the end of the blank and the two relatively opposed legs 21, 22 of the U-shaped cut extend toward the opposite end of the blank, and the free terminal end portions of the cuts 21, 22 parallely overlap the terminal end portions of the cleavage lines 15 and 16 which are adjacent thereto, thereby providing between the cuts designate-d 15, 16, and cuts 21, 22, a pair of spaced strips of resilient material which have heretofore been somewhat arbitrarily designated as resilient hinge-links, 11, because they are not truly either mechanical hinges or springs, though they partake of the mechanical action and function of both, because of the connecting hinge function and the resilience of the material.

The blank and the cuts therein having been described, it is to be noted that the clip is a unitary integral resilient structure formed by elevating portions of the cut blank from the plane of the blank. The portion 24 of the blank within the lines 19, 21, 22 of the U-shaped cut, and also the elongated tongue 12, remain substantially in the plane of the original blank, whereby the portion which is within the U-shaped cut thereby becomes a first finger-grip member 24 at one end of the clip integral and substantially co-planar with the tongue 12.

Because the material is practically thin, a reinforcing rib 23 may be stamped integrally in the material longi- 3 tudinally of finger-grip member 24 in any well known manner, as shown by the slight deformation thereof.

The portion of the blank consisting of the narrow U- shaped strip 20 around the perimeter of the first fingergrip member 24 is elevated to a spaced relation and becomes an elevated second finger-grip member 25, which is therefore open at its central area. At the forward ends each of the U-shaped legs 20 are bifurcated longitudinally and each of the two inner bifurcated strips 11a and 11b become one of the pair of relatively spaced leaf-spring strips that form resilient hinge-link member 11 which maintains the second finger-grip member and the connected end of tines 13, .14, at an elevated spaced position. The two integral relatively spaced strips 11a, 11b of the resilient hinge-link member 11 have one end connected to the U-shaped legs 20 of the second finger-grip 25 and the other ends thereof are integrally connected to the relatively opposite side edges of the tongue 12, whereby the two strips of the resilient hinge-links 11 are at an incline upwardly and rearwardly from a forward point of integral connection to the respective side edges of the tongue 12, and extend to the inner marginal edge portion of said U-shaped second finger-grip member, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing.

As also best shown in FIG. 5, the outer opposite marginal portions of the legs of the U-shaped second fingergrip member are extended integrally and merge into the two co-planar tines 13, 14, which are thereby relatively spaced laterally by the width of the tongue member .12 .at their juncture with the second finger-grip portion. It will be further noted that the portions 13a and 14a which become a part of the tine members are deformed from a straight alignment adjacent to the connection thereof to the elevated second finger-grip member, such deformation being upwardly or away from the hingelink portions 11a, 11b, whereby a connecting angle or throat 26 of increased angular magnitude may be provided between the resilient-links 11 and tines 13, 14, which causes the clip to open (as in FIG. 3) with the tongue and tines substantially parallel, thereby providing an even pressure over the expanse of a lock of hair in the clip, such increased magnitude of angle also eliminating tendency of strands of hair to become entangled or lodged in said angle, which is a prevailing fault in the connecting angle or throat of hinged jaws in many hair clips.

The co-planar tines 13-14- are formed to be inclined toward the tongue and forwardly substantially in an inclined plane from elevated portion 13a, 14a, as well as being tapered inwardly toward each other and toward the longitudinal centerline of the tongue .12 whereby the tines converge laterally toward each other and their opposed adjacent edges are brought together in substantial contact at the .free terminal ends of the tines, whereby said free terminal end portions of the tines overlap and overlie the free terminal end portion of the tongue 12 as indicated by broken lines 12a in FIG. 4, and preferably the free terminal end 18 of the tongue 12 extends somewhat beyond the overlying free terminal end of the tines. While such extension 18 is not essential, it is preferred, since when the clip is mounted on a lock of hair such extension of the lower prong or tongue 12 affords a leading pickup point portion for inserting under the lock of hair to lift the lock of hair from the scalp, which facilitates operation.

Since hair clips of various kinds are well known in common use, it is believed that the mode of operation of the structure of FIGS. 1 to 5 is self-evident. It is manifest from the drawings that by manual pressure manipulation of the two fingergrip members 24 and 25, the tines and tongue are opened relatively against the tension of the hinge-link members 11, and that the tongue may then be inserted close to the scalp under a lock of hair;' and that upon release of the two fingergrip members the tines will resiliently close upon the lock of hair by means of the resilient hinge-link 11 and thus engage the lock of hair between substantially parallel prongs of the clip member as shown in FIG. Whlch 51mm taneously opens the throat 26 to a wide an so that the hair does not become entangled therein.

In the modification of clip shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the clip may be formed of resilient molded plastic as heretofore stated, but as herein exemplified, it compri an integral elongated planar blank 30 of resilient sheet material. The blank is cut to provide an integral finger i portion 31, at one end, from which there extends an integral elongated resilient central tongue 3 2 defined by parallel spaced cuts .33 on each longitudinal side thereof, by which there is defined, on the respective opposite longitudinal sides of the tongue, resilient 1ntegral tines 34, which have their free ends terminating short of the corresponding free terminal end of the tongue, said cuts 33 for the tines having the opposite ends thereof terminating in spaced relation to the opposite end of the blank adjacent said fingergrip portion generally indicated 31.

The clip of this modification is formed integrally from resilient blank 30 by stamping the fingergrip portion 31 at one end of the blank to provide a modified planar portion 31a and a terminal lip 31!), the portion 31:: being inclined to the general plane of the clip. The tongue 32 extends integrally from the lateral central portion of one end of the inclined planar fingergrip portion 31a and at said connected end the tongue has an integral resilient hinge-link portion 32a inclined in a direction which may be termed downwardly and forwardly (shown best in FIG. 7) and performing the same resilient hinge-link function as the members 11a, 11b in FIGS. 1 to 5. From this inclined portion 32:: the tongue then extends forwardly in an elongated portion 3211 which is inclined upwardly from the hinge-link 32a andextends longitudinally to a free terminal end 32c.

The tines 34, 35 of the clip are coplanar relatively and also have one end connected to the inclined fingergrip portion 31a at the opposite sides of tongue 32, and adjacent said connection said tines are deformed upwardly, or oppositely relative to the tongue, providing upwardly inclined portions 34a and 35a, and then forwardly as at 3412 and 35b, and have free terminal ends 34c, 35c in longitudinal spaced relation short of the free terminal end of the tongue 32c. Said opposite relative forming of the tongue and tines adjacent the fingergrip member forms a widely spaced angle between the tongue and tines, providing a wide angled throat 36.

From said oppositely inclined portions 32a, 34a, 35a, adjacently spaced from said open throat 36, the respective tines and tongue converge toward each other in their respective planes whereby they are in superficial planar contact at the free terminal end of the tines, and the tines converge toward each other in their plane, whereby said free terminal ends of the tines may be deformed slightly inwardly toward each other and towards the longitudinal centerline of the clip, so that the inner opposed side edges of the tines overlie the centrally disposed tongue which is thereby maintained at its position below the tines, as best shown in FIG. 8. At the free terminal ends 340 and 350, the tines may each also have an upturned tip 37 for guiding the tines over a lock of hair.

In this modification, it is preferred that the free terminal end portion 320 of the tongue shall extend substantially beyond the corresponding end of the .tines to facilitate insertion of the tongue beneath a lock of hair, since in this modification the clip is opened by inserting the free end of the tongue under a lock of hair and then lifting the clip by the fingergrip member to sufiiciently space the tines from the tongue so that the lock of hair may he slipped into the clip, which is facilitated by the upwardly formed tips 37 at the end of the tines.

A similar characteristic of both forms of clip of the invention is that they are integral, and if desired may be formed from a single metal planar blank whereby the tines and tongue are maintained planar and smooth at their respectively opposed faces; and the structural parts are made operative by elevating one portion of the blank relative to another portion, and particularly the tines relative to the tongue at the connection with the fingergrip member, the tines and the tongue in each form of the invention being resiliently tensioned relatively by an inclined integral hinge-link portion to provide an open throat. If formed of resilient molded plastic, the respective structural parts would occupy the same operational relationship.

The varying forms of the clip have difference in operation in that the opening of the clip in the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 is responsive to pressure of two fingergrip members, Whereas in the device illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 10 the clip is opened to receive a lock of hair by inserting the tongue beneath the lock of hair and lifting the tines by means of the fingergrip member, and thus opening the clip. In both forms when the clip is open the tines and the tongue are generally parallel, and because of the formation of the tongue and the tines and the throat of the clip, ample space is allowed for the lock of hair to be inserted and removed without entanglement.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and patentable is:

1. An integral hair clip having a finger-grip member at one end and having an opposite free terminal end portion, said finger-grip member comprising resiliently connected first and second finger-grip portions, resiliently elongated tines and tongue extending from the finger-grip member to an opposite free end portion of the clip, the first portion of the finger-grip member being an extended integral part at one end of the tongue, and the second portion of the finger-grip member being an extended integral part of the tines, resilient portions of the respec tive tines and tongue being inclined relatively oppositely and forwardly from the finger-grip portion toward the free end providing an open spaced throat between the tines and tongue adjacent the finger-grip, said inclined resilient portions of the clip at said throat including a pair of integral relatively transversely spaced resilient hingelink members having one end connected on opposite sides of the tongue member adjacent the first finger-grip portion, said hinge-link members being inclined longitudinally from the tongue to said throat portion and having the opposite ends thereof connecting at said throat with the second portion of the finger-grip member.

2. A hair clip of the character described as set forth in claim 1, the said tine members being coplanar and converging toward each other adjacent to the free terminal end thereof, and having tree terminal end portions overlying the tongue member, whereby the tongue member is prevented from passing through the space between the tine members.

3. A hair clip comprising an elongated integral body of resilient material including a finger-grip member at one end and having an opposite free terminal end portion, elongated tongue and tine portions extending from the finger-grip member to the free terminal end portion thereof, said finger-grip comprising a first portion which is an extension of the tongue, and a second portion which is an extension of the tines, the tongue portion being in a plane which underlies the plane of the tine portion, integral resilient longitudinally inclined hinge-link members connecting each opposite edge of the tongue adjacent the finger-grip member to the tines adjacent the second fingergrip member, the tine portion having prongs which laterally converge relatively whereby a portion thereof overlies the free terminal end portion of the tongue for maintaining the free terminal end portion of the tongue in underlying relation to the free terminal end portion of the tines, the opposed faces of the tines and the tongue being smoothly planar free of obstruction whereby smooth opposed planar faces may contact a lock of hair between said tines and tongue.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,620,809 12/52 Rosen 24-259 X 2,736,324 2/56 Cochran 132-52 3,082,773 3/63 Renstrom et al. 13248 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner 

3. A HAIR CLIP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED INTEGRAL BODY OF RESILIENT MATERIAL INCLUDING A FINGER-GRIP MEMBER AT ONE END AND HAVING AN OPPOSITE FREE TERMINAL END PORTION, ELONGATED TONGUE AND TINE PORTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE FINGER-GRIP MEMBER TO THE FREE TERMINAL END PORTION THEREOF, SAID FINGER-GRIP COMPRISING A FIRST PORTION WHICH IS AN EXTENSION OF THE TONGUE, AND A SECOND PORTION WHICH IS AN EXTENSION OF THE TINES, THE TONGUE PORTION BEING IN A PLANE WHICH UNDERLIES THE PLANE OF THE TINE PORTION, INTEGRAL RESILIENT LONGITUDINALLY INCLINED HINGE-LINK MEMBERS CONNECTING EACH OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE TONGUE ADJACENT THE FINGER-GRIP MEMBER TO THE TINES ADJACENT THE SECOND FINGERGRIP MEMBER, THE TINE PORTION HAVING PRONGS WHICH LATERALLY CONVERGE RELATIVELY WHEREBY A PORTION THEREOF OVERLIES THE FREE TERMINAL END PORTION OF THE TONGUE FOR MAINTAINING THE FREE TERMINAL END PORTION OF THE TONGUE IN UNDERLYING RELATION TO THE FREE TERMINAL END PORTION OF THE TINES, THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE TINES AND THE TONGUE BEING SMOOTHLY PLANAR FREE OF OBSTRUCTION WHEREBY SMOOTH OPPOSED PLANAR FACES MAY CONTACT A LOCK OF HAIR BETWEEN SAID TINES AND TONGUE. 